Outsourcing Maintenance Makes Sense for Fleets

Outsourcing Maintenance Makes Sense for Fleets

Fleets say they’d like to outsource their maintenance, so why are so few doing it?

A recent Heavy Duty Truckingarticle details why outsourcing maintenance is a good idea for fleets and lists eight tips to find the right service provider for your fleet’s needs. With the ups and downs of the economy and the uncertainty that prevails, companies are constantly looking for ways to not only save money, but also to make the most productive use of their resources.

Joe Puff, NationaLease’s Vice President of Truck Technology and Maintenance, is quoted in the article addressing this concern. “Outsourcing can relieve many costs and pains surroundings hiring, training, equipment and tool investments, software license fees and administrative systems,” said Joe. “Additionally, the challenges managing EPA and local environmental regulations, fire codes, building codes, OSHA, NHTSA, CSA and so on can be significantly reduced.”

Yet, with this knowledge and an admission that they would like to outsource more of their service work, fleets are only outsourcing one-quarter to one-third of their maintenance and repair. One of the main barriers may be that fleet managers and owners don’t really know the best way to go about finding an appropriate service provider. The article offers eight tips to make this task easier and more reliable, including the following:

Know what you need – Whether it’s the type of service needed, the geographical range, or tech capabilities, the more specifics a fleet knows, the better it will be at finding the right provider.

Don’t lose control – Make sure you maintain communications with your provider throughout the relationship.

Explore your options – This is why you need to do Step #1 above. Knowing what you need will enable you to ask the right questions. Since the industry is investing more and more in technology, both in vehicles and operations, make sure your provider has the latest tools and technology.

Understand what you’re paying for – Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for, so looking for the lowest cost provider may not get you the maintenance partner you need.

Demand customization – You’re the customer, so if you have specific ways of performing tasks, or you only allot a certain amount of time for a specific repair, inform your provider.